


The Twisted Lines of Fate

by AlienBro



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Romance, Soulmate AU, epic misunderstandings, they get corrected though don’t worry, t’hy’la
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 23:12:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15806481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlienBro/pseuds/AlienBro
Summary: Everyone has a soulmark. Somewhere out there, someone has an identical mark in an ideantical place: they’re soulmates. Jim doesn’t know what his soulmark is, but he knows he doesn’t want it. Spock knows what his is, but it doesn’t seem like such a comfort.





	The Twisted Lines of Fate

**Author's Note:**

> Speedy soulmate AU for y’all.

Jim’s soulmark was on his chest, directly above his heart. He had no idea what it was. 

Sam’s was a plant like thing, on his left wrist. His mothers, a shooting star behind her left ear. Jim’s was a long, swirling line of something no one in his family could identify. It was beautiful, but Jim wished he could identify it, to get some clue as to who his soulmate was. 

Soul marks were supposed to show some sort of destiny. But Jim was confused and sad and he knew the pain his mother felt when his dad died. 

Jim Kirk was 10 when he decided he didn’t want his strange, confusing soulmate. 

***

Spock’s father identified his soulmark, situated on his lower abdomen, over his heart, as an ancient form of Vulcan calligraphy. He had it translated by an expert when Spock was 10: t’hy’la. 

This gave Spock some clues to the identity of his soulmate. One, he was male, as t’hy’la were always both men. Two: his soulmate was not Vulcan. Like many planets, Vulcan kept a registry of soulmarks, and his match was not in it. His mother had suggested that perhaps his soulmate was human, due to his heritage. Spock did not know, nor was he bothered by it. 

***

Jim’s relationship with his first officer had gone from awful to strained to friendly surprisingly fast. When he wasn’t marooning him on a cold, desolate plant or choking him out on the bridge, his quiet sense of humour and steadfast personality were endearing. Jim found himself becoming close friends with the man, to the point where he began to wonder if this was what the elder Spock had talked about. 

Only, he doubted that the other Jim had a huge, unrequited crush on his Spock. Although, if Jim was honest with himself, his feelings went far deeper than a simple crush. 

Jim had entertained the though that maybe Spock was his soulmate, but he lost that hope when Spock was injured on an away mission. When Jim had gone to see him in sickbay, he had caught a glimpse of Spock’s bare chest. Although his entire lower torso was obscured by bandages, the area where the mark would’ve been was bare. 

Spock hadn’t seen him, and in a moment of weakness Jim had returned to his quarters, unreasonably upset. He had talked to Bones later that night, and between drinks had told him the situation. 

Bones, in return, told him about Jocelyn. That the two of them had been sure they could make it work, even if they weren’t soulmates. There were couples that weren’t soulmates that lead happy and fulfilling lives, after all. How hard could it be? But, they were wrong, and Bones was left without his soulmate, daughter, or any hope for the future. He told Jim that after his divorce, he looked up his soulmark in the earth registry. He’d started to cry at this point, soured on by the heavy feeling in the air and the alcohol in is system. 

Earth kept a registry of people who died without their soulmate, in order for people to find out if their soulmate had died without ever meeting them. Bones had found a match for his mark on this registry. 

“I never got to meet them Jim.” Bones told his between drinks. “I couldn’t even look at any information, I don’t even know who they were. I just know they’re long gone and I’m alone.” 

After that, Jim decided having a soulmate wasn’t worth it. He wasn’t sure if he even wanted one that wasn’t Spock. 

***

Spock’s feelings for Captain Kirk were illogical. The Captain was not his soulmate, therefore there was no logical explication for why Spock felt so deeply for the man. He had seen Jim’s shirt ride up numerous times, and there was no sign of a soulmark that matched Spock’s. 

Despite this, Spock continued to feel a deep regard for his captain. 

He spoke to Nyota about it one night, after a shared dinner. She had advised him to be patient, but Spock did not know if he could be. For the first time in his adult life, he was unable to quell an emotion, unable to meditate it away or push in down enough to be ignored. 

Nonetheless, Spock resigned himself to having these unrequited feelings for the rest of their time on the Enterprise. 

***

The first time Spock saw Jim’s soul mark was almost the last. 

They were being held captive by a group of Klingons who had been waiting in an uninhabited planet the Enterprise has been exploring. They had captured the away team — consisting of the Captain, Spock, Doctor McCoy and two security officers — and taken them to the ship.

The doctor and the security officers were taken away, probably to a prison cell of some sort. Spock and Jim were taken to a room that instantly make Spock uneasy. He was thrown in a small cell on one side of the room, while Jim was dragged to the other side of the room, his hands shackled above his head. 

They met eyes across the room. They both knew what was coming next. Spock steeled himself, hands gripping desperately at the bars in an attempt to save them. But all he could do was hope against hope that the rest of the crew could get them out in time. 

Twenty minutes later, although it felt like an eternity for them both, Jim’s shirt was hanging in shreds, and he was limply handing from the chains, no longer trying to hold himself up. Spock’s emotional control was in tatters. The bars he was gripping had dents from the pressure applied to them, but still Spock was powerless to help his captain. 

It was one of the Klingons who first caught a glimpse of the black markings in Jim’s chest, and he tore away the sheds of clothing left to reveal it. His grin widened, growing mocking as he realized what the marks were. 

“How do you think your soulmate feels, Kirk, knowing you’re going to die here.” 

Spock barely head the words. He was too busy reading and rereading the calligraphy on Jim’s chest, directly over his heart.

T’hy’la. 

Spock spoke for the first time since they entered the room, his voice nearly shaking with contained rage.

“You will not harm him. If you must kill one of us, kill me instead.” 

There was no logic in the trade, no reasoning. Only Spock and his desperate need to protect Jim from harm: a goal he had already failed at. 

The Klingon looked back at him, then at Jim’s soulmark, then grinned, clearly connecting the dots. He grabbed a fistful of Jim’s hair, forcing him to look up. 

“Isn’t that sweet, he’s willing to die for you. But I won’t let that happen.” He turned back to Spock, a grin splitting his face. “I’m going to kill him. It’s going to be long, slow and painful. And your going to watch every. Last. Second.” 

He picked up a knife and dragged it down Jim’s chest, over his soulmark, and Jim was just lucid enough to scream through gritted teeth and Spock was trying to bend the bars of his cell apart even though he knew it would never work, when the door was blasted open and phaser fire filled the room. 

***

Jim was sore, but alive. 

That seemed like a miracle, because the last thing he remembered was a serrated blade cutting away at his chest. Glancing down, he saw everything seemed intact, including his soulmark. That was a relief.

“Welcome back, sunshine.” Bones’ familiar voice greeted him. 

“Bones.” Jim whispered, a small smile on his face. “What happened?” 

“Long story short, we rescued you. And don’t worry, you’ll be back on the bridge in no time. You need your rest though.” Bones answered, his usual snark softened slightly. “Good to have you back on board.” 

Jim grinned the best he could when his whole body hurt, then promptly fell asleep again. 

When Jim awoke again, there was a presence beside him. He smiled softly, reaching towards it almost unconsciously. 

“Hey there Mr. Spock. I wondering if you were ever going to come see me.” He teased, his heart constricting at the sight of his first officer. 

Spock looked uncharacteristically nervous. He opens his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again. Finally, he said something. 

“Are you fully aware and conscious?” He asked softly.

Jim nodded, a little confused. Was everything on board the ship alright? Had something happened while he was asleep?

“There is a matter of great importance a must discuss with you.” He continued. 

“Alright. Go ahead.” Jim responded, forehead wrinkling with concern. 

“I saw your soulmark yesterday, while the Klingons were... while we were captured.” Spock paused, looking unsure. “I wish to show you something.” 

Before Jim could reply, Spock pulled up his shirt, revealing his soulmark. Jim gasped slightly, then seemed to deflate. 

“They’re... not in the same spot. Mine is somewhere else.” Jim said, looking away to hide his disappointment. 

“You misunderstand. The location of my mark is not on my abdomen, but directly above my heart. Due to the differences in our anatomy, yours would be here.” Spock reached out and placed his hand on Jim’s chest, resting over his heart. 

Jim was, for the first time in a long while, completely at a loss for words. He stared long enough that Spock started to withdraw his hand, looking hurt. Jim reached out a hand and placed it over Spock’s soulmark, sliding his hand under the shirt, feeling warm skin and a steady heartbeat. 

Spock stepped closer, his legs hitting the bed. Jim sat up a little more, his free hand propping himself up until he was sure he wouldn’t fall over. 

“It never even occurred to me that your heart was in a different place than mine.” Jim whispered, finally finding the words. “I’ve been in love with you for so long. When I though I found out you weren’t my soulmate I was so heartbroken. I thought you could never love me back, mush less be my soulmate.” 

“You are my t’hy’la, Jim. I have been and always shall be yours.” Spock replied, so matter of fact in a declaration of love, yet it made Jim’s heart beat faster.

“T’hy’la? What does that mean?” Jim asked.

Spock ran a single finger down the mark on his chest, tracing the dominant lines. “That is what our soulmarks say. T’hy’la is a bond, a highly revered one, amount my people. It is like a soulmate, only deeper, more intimate. It is everything we are and everything we will become.” 

Jim’s resulting smile lit up the room. He moved forward, intent on kissing his soulmate, but was interrupted by an annoyed voice in the doorway.

“Am I interrupting something?” Bones asked pointedly, eying the two of them. 

The two practically leapt away from each other, looking like guilty teenagers. Bones shooed Spock away from the bed, a tricorder in hand. 

“Let me scan my patient before I get a cavity from the sweetness.” he grumbled, scanning Jim with the tricorder. 

“Am I free to go?” Jim asked once Bones was finished scanning. 

The doctor sighed, glancing at his scans again before replying. “I guess. Don’t do anything too strenuous.” He shot a pointed look in Spock’s direction, before he shooed the two of them out the door. 

They walked down the corridor together, heading to Jim’s quarters despite not having formally agreed to do so. When they arrived, Jim entered first, gesturing for Spock to follow him into the small room. 

“I suppose we have a lot to talk about.” Jim said, turning to face Spock. 

“Indeed. However, I would prefer we do not do so quite yet. I would much rather pursue other things for now.” Spock said, a near smile on his face. 

Jim raised an eyebrow, mirroring Spock. “When are we supposed t-“ 

The rest of Jim’s sentence was cut off as Spock stepped forward and pressed their lips together, effectively silencing him. They parted after a moment, both breathing heavily. 

“Oh. Yeah. I like that idea better.” Jim whispered, before he leaned forward again. 

The End.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I know it’s not my best work, I really write this to get myself out of a slump. But I enjoyed making it and I hope you enjoyed writing it. Catch me over on tumblr @not-chrispratt and talk to me about Star Trek! Leave a comment and brighten my day.


End file.
